Jess Venner for The Lost Voices of Pompeii with Helen Carr

Join two historians as they discuss a unique perspective on the history of Pompeii...

We know how the people of Pompeii died, but how did they live?

Drawing on the latest archaeological discoveries, Dr Jess Venner brings the ancient streets to life through the eyes of those who lived, worked, loved and ultimately met their fate in Pompeii.

In her new book, we meet a successful female entrepreneur defying Roman convention, a slave grappling with his future after gaining his freedom, and a politician who cements his power and prestige by hosting the Plebian Games at the amphitheatre... Venner traces stories of a community more complex, diverse and human than we ever imagined.

The Lost Voices of Pompeii recreates the final twenty-four hours before the eruption, reminding us exactly what and who was lost in 79 AD.

Dr Jess Venner is an award-winning ancient historian and archaeologist, recipient of the prestigious Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship and the Rome Award and an Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, amongst other academic posts. An academic at the Institute of Classical Studies in London and an Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, she is passionate about making ancient history accessible through her TikTok. She is a consultant for and features on the BBC documentary Pompeii: The New Dig, and has appeared in publications such as The Times.

Helen Carr is a historian specialising in both medieval history and public history. Her The Red Prince was a Times and Sunday Times Book of the Year, and her second book, What is History, Now? has become primary reading for history students globally. She works in podcasting, television and journalism and is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society.